


42 - Childhood

by TerraCorrupt



Series: Shadowruns in the Matrix [5]
Category: Almost Human, Shadowrun
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 23:44:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17949431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraCorrupt/pseuds/TerraCorrupt
Summary: Two scenes from John Kennex's childhood, one revolving around his father, the other revolving around his mother. John tells these stories to Dorian during an introspective (and badgering) evening with his partner.





	42 - Childhood

            John snorted while he sat beside his partner at the bar. “Memories about my parents? Why do you want to know about that?” He couldn’t imagine why the android was interested in anything about his past. “You know my dad was killed in the line of duty. My mom…” The pale man tipped his head back, the last of the dark liquid sliding down his throat. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, clearly most memories of his parents very personal to him. He didn’t want anyone to know about his past, and how much it hurt him not to have his parents in his life any longer.

            “We’re partners, John. I’m interested in you, and how you came to be the man you are today.” Dorian smiled at the pale man, sensors in his eyes flicking to different parts of John’s body, testing the stress levels the man was under now. “I’m only asking you to share one of each with me. Happy memories, if it will make things easier.”

            The android leaned back when John did, keeping enough distance between them so that he could to respond quickly to the man taking a swing at him. John looked up at Dorian, resignation in his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “Fine… I’ll tell you.” He raised his hand to get the bartender’s attention, ordering another drink for himself. “I don’t like talking about them.”

            “Tell me about your father first.”

            “Okay… I was ten when this happened. It was one of the first times I got in trouble. Real trouble.”

\-----

            John followed his father carefully. He remembered the instructions he'd been given, since they were always the same, but it just wasn't easy to be a small child going somewhere lavish, where he wasn't able to play with anything anywhere. The brunette boy nearly grasped at Edward's offered gloved hand to help him keep up. He knew he'd be distracted by the myriad of things that decorated Ghostwalker's lair in the California Free State, but he wanted to prove that he could be useful to the shadowrunner.

            At just ten years old, he was starting to understand why it was necessary for them to change into special clothing just to come out to meet this special man his dad always reported to. But he enjoyed spending time with the man, and he usually got to learn to handle guns after they finished whatever it was they were doing. He always wanted to impress his dad with his improvement and found that he was able to make the bullets go where he wanted them to go by sheer willpower. And he was getting better at doing it. Soon, maybe he could tell his dad, then he could choose an alias, and be able to go out with him into El Infierno instead of just out into the woods hunting deer.

            " _Shining Armor_..." A voice echoed throughout the building. The lord of the manor had graced them with his presence and was directing them to where they needed to go. The voice called his dad by the other name. The one only a few people knew. John looked up at the tall man, stopping in his tracks. _"You brought the boy again. He's not suited to this now... I can hear him walking with his heavy feet. Leave him at the door."_

            John knew the man they visited was talking about him, so rude about it all. He didn't like this man his dad worked for. He ground his teeth unhappily. He knew the pale man didn't like him, but it wasn't like he was useless to anyone. He trained everyday when he got home from school.  As if to prove to himself and that darned client that he wasn't just some boy who couldn't hold his own, John took a breath and dashed forward to catch up to his dad who was stepping into the room where he met with his impressive client.

            The tall pale man had his back to them now, as he always did. Edward Kennex walked forward without thinking about what happened. “Ghostwalker, it’s unusual for you to come into the city like this. What’s so important that you would risk the exposure?” The man’s accent changed now, making it sound as if he was someone from the south Pacific. “Have I not done all you asked?”

            A black streak darted silently around the edge of the room, before darting straight for Ghostwalker. The streak was faster than Edward expected, but so was he. “John, no!” He shouted, while putting on his own burst of speed to close the distance and grab hold of his son.

            Ultimately, he wasn’t fast enough. The boy collided with Ghostwalker when the pale man disappeared, being replaced by a large white dragon who lashed out with one clawed hand, pinning John to the ground without causing mortal wounds or much physical pain, despite how much the boy’s mind made it seem as if it was happening that way. _It’s a dangerous game you play, Young Adept… Biting the hand that feeds your family rarely gets you what you want_.

            John stared up at the dragon snarling at him, not realizing that the man his dad dealt with so frequently was such a powerhouse. He looked over at his father who had now come to kneel beside the hand holding his son hostage. His dad was touching the dragon, impressing upon him that the boy had only recently Awakened, and only thought to test out his new abilities in a safer environment than his school. John looked away, properly ashamed that he hadn’t been able to surprise his dad with his abilities, and had made himself open to a dragon’s teeth. He knew his dad was disappointed in him, and it hurt more than what Ghostwalker was doing to him now.

            John sagged as the dragon’s claws were pulled away from him. Whatever his dad said seemed to have the desired effect. _Take the boy and go, Shining Armor. Train him well. There are not many who can claim to have snuck up on a dragon and lived to tell the tale._ The boy rolled over onto his side, and finally onto his feet where he could run behind his father and look properly apologetic. “I’m sorry, Ghostwalker, sir. I wanted to prove that I’m not useless to my dad… Or you.”

            Edward stood quickly and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders, quite pleased with the boy’s progress and apology, even if showing that progress had been traumatic for both of them. He bowed at the admonition to leave, turning to draw his trembling son back down the hallway, both walking in silence.

            When they reached the exit to the public street, Edward stopped and knelt in front of his son again. He had a kindly smile on his face now, despite the entire scene from a few moments before. “It’s not smart to attack a dragon in his lair, John. He could have eaten you, and I would have been near powerless to stop him.” He put both of his hands on John’s shoulders, grasping them hard to give him a hint about just how concerned he had been for his child.

            “But dad, he called me useless…”

            “He called you unsuited,” Edward corrected. “Which was the point of bringing you here today. You’re getting more in tune with your powers, but you don’t have much control of them. You have to choose your specialty. Unarmed like me, or firearms like you’ve been practicing with your mom.”

            “Firearms,” John answered quickly. “I’ve been practicing. I can shoot anything. And I can walk on snow without being seen or heard like tonight.” The boy was properly apologetic about the situation, still thinking that he had ruined his father’s most lucrative business deal.

            “We’re going to the forests around Mount Shasta so you can learn to track the Shasta Deer. We will not harm them; only mark them with ink if you are successful.” Edward stood up and grasped at John’s shoulder tightly. “Let’s go home, son. Ghostwalker’s proud of you, no matter how much he tried to eat you.”

\-----

            John shook his head when he finished telling the story about his first interaction with the dragon. “Now I’m Ghostwalker’s shadowy emissary. He calls me when he needs something done, which you need to keep between us.” John lowered his drink, two fingers from the hand holding the glass pressing into the android’s chest. John trusted Dorian implicitly, so it was only to cover his bases. “And I tagged four Shasta Deer that trip. Even with their abilities, they never heard me coming.”

            “That’s impressive, John. I didn’t realize you believed you could walk silently and leave no traces of yourself.”

            “I can throw bullets as if I fired them from my gun too.”

            Dorian snorted, not believing such a thing was possible from the human detective. “Whatever you say… Now tell me about your mother.”

            “My mom was so beautiful, Dorian. You just have no idea. I’ll find you a picture of her. This story I’m going to tell you is from when I was five, and I got her a special birthday present.”

\-----

            John was excited. He always enjoyed his mom's birthday, and today, he was getting to choose what he gave her. "Dad, Something shiny!" He called as they walked down the halls in the shopping center. The small child ran forward to the next store, searching for the perfect gift for his mom. "Can I get her something shiny this year?" He knew exactly what he wanted to get her. "Something like her ring!" The boy meant his mother's wedding ring, and clearly wanted to be able to give the most important woman in his life something just as special as his dad had given her.

            Edward smiled and walked after his son. He knew the boy wouldn't run too far ahead and would never be farther than he could put on a burst of speed to catch. He fished in his pocket for the Bitcoin stick with the money that was separate from his public accounts. He knew what he wanted to get his wife for her birthday, and it just happened to be like what John wanted to get her. "Are you even tall enough to look into the cases of shiny things?" The boy could be funny sometimes, but he had good taste in presents.

            A few shops down, the pair found a place with the "shiny things" John wanted. they had holographic items that were out far enough for a boy to reach and touch. Before Edward could get close enough to call him to heel, a worker in the jewelry store stepped in and bent down to speak sternly to the boy about not touching things and staying within smacking distance of his parents. Before the words could finish coming out of the salesman's mouth, Edward walked into the man's space, while putting a hand on John's head, effectively holding him in place with only a minimum effort. "He's here to pick something out for his mother." Edward spoke sternly, while he offered his Bitcoin stick to John so he would be able to pay when they found something appropriate.

            The boy smiled and offered the item to the salesman, easily forgiving him for being stern with him. "Something shiny for mom like her ring. It's her birthday." John was excited to be looking at all the pretty jewelry. He pulled away so he could dart into the store and search for something at eye-level, unable to see the nicer jewelry in the back of the cases that were likely what he wanted to see more of.

            "A diamond necklace with colored diamonds." Edward whispered to the salesman, pointing at a case where such things were. "Price doesn't matter, only quality." He snapped his fingers, and the excited boy returned to his side, a pout on his face at not being able to see the shiny things in the back. He knelt down and picked John up like he weighed nothing while he followed after their salesman.

            Back at their home, John clutched the exquisitely wrapped box tight against his chest. He didn’t want to let it go for fear of something happening to it. Occasionally, the boy would shake the thing to hear the little necklace rattling around. He stood in the kitchen while Edward made a special dinner for the small family. They had agreed that everything would go perfectly if John could stay home from school. So the boy behaved, and helped to set the table. He put the present in his chair while he worked, so the thing wouldn’t be damaged by any of his actions.

            As soon as the front door opened, John dropped the last fork into place and ran to greet his mother returning home from her day patrolling the streets of the City. He ran to the door, waiting obediently for her to close and lock it behind herself now that they were all in, presumably for the night. As soon as Theresa turned around to face him, she knelt to hug him tight against her chest. “Welcome home, momma! Happy birfday!” He still hadn’t quite managed the –th sound in some words, but he was getting better. “Dad’s making dinner. It’s almost ready.”

            The woman smiled at her son, petting him gently on the head. “Thank you, John. I hope you had a good day at school.” She released him and stood up to remove her coat and hang it in the hall closet. He had been sworn to secrecy about not going to school, and so he just nodded and took her hand to lead her further into the house. “What is your father making for dinner? It smells delicious.”

            “Something good.” He wasn’t too sure what exactly would be on the plates, but it was supposed to be served before they made it to the dining room. “But we have to go eat now. It’s hot now.” John tugged more on Mom’s hand, eager for everything to come together like Dad promised him. He smiled brightly, and only belatedly remembered that she should cover her eyes like they did in the videos when a family wanted to surprise the mother. “Close your eyes, momma. No looking.”

            Theresa did as she was asked, assuaging her son’s desires. The boy was so happy to be able to lead his mother into the house that he didn’t think to make sure she wouldn’t bang into any of the doorways. Only a soft oomph from the woman, gave him any indication that he hadn’t done his duty properly. She stepped aside slowly and smiled at the concerned face of the boy. She shook her head and investigated the dining hall, a gasp escaping her lips as soon as she saw her husband finishing with the preparations by lighting two candles with a match, instead of a lighter. “Edward…”

            “Happy birthday, Theresa.”

            He came around the table, pulling out the chair intended for the woman to sit in. With the chair out, Theresa walked forward and sat in the chair. Absently, she brushed her long black hair back behind her ears. “Thank you, Edward, John.” She waited for the other two to take their seats before she started eating. Both men waited patiently for her to begin eating her venison steak before they began eating too, John’s meal already cut up for him since he didn’t know how to use a knife yet.

            The conversation was warm and familiar for the small family. They didn’t have anything to worry about. Edward didn’t allude to having jobs to take care of, so they could spend the evening watching videos, until John fell asleep between them. When the food was finished, and they went into the living room to settle in for the evening, John trailed behind his parents.

            He held the small box to his chest and stood by the arm of the large leather couch while his mom sat, tucking her legs underneath herself. Edward went to the television and fiddled with the controls until the opening screen for a movie popped up onto it. Edward muted the television, giving John a thumbs-up to go ahead with the rest of his plan. The boy nodded quickly and climbed into his spot next to the woman. “Momma, I have something for you!” He got so excited about the present that he nearly pulled the wrapping paper off it himself.

            The older woman laughed, and quickly snapped the little box from her son’s grabby hands. “A present for me? Oh darling, that’s so sweet of you!” She held the box in her lap while Edward came to join them and see just what their boy had managed to keep hidden from his wife. Theresa leaned close to kiss John on the forehead, while she carefully peeled off the wrapping paper. “What could it be? A little box?”

            “Open the box! Open it!”

            Theresa smiled and turned it around so the hinges were away from her and she could open it. Her brown eyes grew wide, while her jaw fell slack, an astonished expression growing on her face as she took in the sight of the dragon necklace. The Asian style dragon hung in an attack position, the black diamonds sparkled in the light of the little house, while the gold claws and horns perfectly accented the silver face and body outline. “John,” she breathed. “This is a wonderful gift! Thank you, my son.” She leaned close and pressed her lips gently to John’s forehead, while wrapping her arms tightly about him. The woman pulled her boy into her lap, intending to hold him until he fell asleep.

            “You’re welcome, momma. Dad let me skip school so I could buy it for you.”

\-----

            “Why are you looking at me like that?” John frowned, turning fully to face his partner. He didn’t like the soft and sentimental expression of his partner.

            “John…” Dorian leaned close so no one else at the bar would hear them speaking. The smile became warmer, and he gently placed a hand on the man’s thigh, ignoring the disgruntled frown manifesting on the human’s face. “Did you know that you’re an affectionate son? Those were beautiful stories. Thank you for sharing them with me.”

            John snorted distastefully and brushed his partner’s hand away. “Leave me alone…” He turned away while shaking his head. “Synthetic, off.”


End file.
